D-backs push past Cards in 19-inning marathon

[September 25, 2019]    Ildemaro Vargas lined a walk-off single with two outs in the 19th inning to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in Phoenix, breaking the Cardinals' six-game winning streak in the longest game in Arizona franchise history.

Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Kelly singled to open the 19th off John Brebbia (3-4), and Nick Ahmed singled Kelly to second. Christian Walker was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs before Vargas lined a single to left field, his fourth hit of the game.

Kevin Ginkel (3-0) pitched the top of the 19th for the victory in a game that lasted 6 hours, 53 minutes, the longest in Chase Field history. The Diamondbacks used 30 players and 13 pitchers, both franchise records.

The Cardinals employed 24 players, including 11 pitchers, as their lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central was trimmed to 2 1/2 games with four to play.

Dexter Fowler homered on the fourth pitch of the game, and St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty made that stand up through seven shutout innings of one-hit ball. Vargas' one-out homer off Andrew Miller in the last of the ninth inning tied it at 1.

The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead on Paul Goldschmidt's one-out homer in the 13th inning, his 33rd of the season and second in as many games in his return to Arizona. Caleb Joseph tied the game with a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the inning, following an Ahmed leadoff triple.

St. Louis' Junior Fernandez pitched out of a two-on, no-out situation to send the game to the 14th.

Goldschmidt, Tommy Edman, Yadier Molina and Harrison Bader had two hits apiece for the Cardinals (90-68).

Flaherty had a no-hitter through six innings before Eduardo Escobar led off the seventh with a sharp single that took an abnormal hop after hitting the lip of the artificial surface near first base.

Flaherty, who struck out 11 and walked two, has given up seven earned runs in his past 75 innings, an 0.84 ERA. In 14 starts since the All-Star break, he has a 0.97 ERA. Flaherty has made 12 starts this season in which he has given up two earned runs or fewer and wound up with either a no-decision or a loss.

--Field Level Media

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